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UAW 1166 employees picket outside of the Stellantis Kokomo Casting Plant along Boulevard Street on Saturday when they officially went on strike at midnight over working conditions.

UAW 1166 employees picket outside of the Stellantis Kokomo Casting Plant along Boulevard Street on Saturday when they officially went on strike at midnight over working conditions.

The United Auto Workers Local 1166 strike for better working conditions in the Stellantis casting plant ended Monday evening.

The union announced a tentative agreement Sunday evening. Then, informative sessions explaining the agreement were held before UAW Local 1166 members voted to ratify the agreement on Monday.

David Willis, UAW Local 1166 president, explained a majority vote was needed to ratify the agreement.

Willis added the strike was successful for multiple reasons. First, he said, the ratified agreement will address issues that UAW Local 1166 had been trying to fix for years, including repairs to the casting plant’s HVAC system.

The Local 1166 president also counted the community’s support as a success. In a Tuesday afternoon phone call with the Tribune, he made a point to thank the various labor unions and the citizens of Kokomo who supported the UAW Local 1166 efforts.

However, Willis commented that strikes are never pleasant.

“Our people took off and did exactly what needed to be done,” Willis said. “I just don’t like to go there.”

“Stellantis is pleased that members of UAW Local 1166 at the Kokomo, Indiana, Casting Plant have ratified a new local agreement. Operations at the plant will resume tonight,” Stellantis spokeswoman Jodi Tinson wrote via email Monday afternoon.

National UAW leaders celebrated the agreement Monday morning, before the agreement was ratified.

“The bargaining committee stood strong with the support of the striking UAW Local 1166 members to win an agreement that will correct the poor working conditions,” UAW President Ray Curry said in a post on the UAW’s website. “This tentative agreement is a testament to UAW solidarity. Their working conditions will greatly improve, and they have given us all inspiration to fight for justice and respect in our workplaces.”

“The auto companies must know that our members will not be sacrificed with cost cutting efforts as they transition the auto industry,” Region 2B Director Wayne Blanchard added. “The UAW membership has delivered quality products with their hard work and dedication while Stellantis has reaped record profits. Local 1166 members have shown that the membership of the UAW will push back when the company shows little regard for how their employees are treated.”

According to Stellantis’ website, the Kokomo Casting Plant employs 1,213 people. More than 1,000 of those workers are represented by the union.

The website also states “Kokomo Casting is the world’s largest die cast facility.”

In an Aug. 1 announcement, Stellantis said it would invest $99 million across three North American plants to produce new engines that could be used in hybrid-electric vehicles. More than $14 million has been designated to the Kokomo casting plant to convert die cast machines and cells for the production of engine blocks.

Currently, the factory produces parts for automotive components, transmission and transaxle cases and engine block castings.

James Bennett III can be reached at 765-454-8580 or james.bennett@kokomotribune.com.

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